Leila Matindoost

Dr. Leila Matindoost


Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

23Years (2004-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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1 May 2007 in Pesticide Biochemistry and Physiology
Verified
Journal Article
Closed access
Kayvan EtebariKayvan Etebari
Kayvan Etebari
ABA.R. Bizhannia
A.R. Bizhannia
RSR. Sorati
R. Sorati
LMLeila Matindoost
Leila Matindoost

15 August 2015 in Journal of Virology
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
MMMohammad Mehrabadi
Mohammad Mehrabadi
MHMazhar Hussain
Mazhar Hussain
LMLeila Matindoost
Leila Matindoost
SASassan Asgari
Sassan Asgari
RNA interference (RNAi) is considered an ancient antiviral defense in diverse organisms, including insects. Virus infections generate double-strand RNAs (dsRNAs) that trigger the RNAi machinery to process dsRNAs into virus-derived short interfering RNAs (vsiRNAs), which target virus genomes, mRNAs, or replication intermediates. Viruses, in turn, have evolved viral suppressors of RNAi (VSRs) to counter host antiviral RNAi. Following recent discoveries that insects mount an RNAi response against DNA viruses, in this study, we found that Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) infection similarly induces an RNAi response in Spodoptera frugiperda cells by generating a large number of vsiRNAs postinfection. Interestingly, we found that AcMNPV expresses a potent VSR to counter RNAi. The viral p35 gene, which is well known as an inhibitor of apoptosis, was found to be responsible for the suppression of RNAi in diverse insect and mammalian cells. The VSR activity of p35 was further confirmed by a p35 -null AcMNPV that did not suppress the response. In addition, our results showed that the VSR activity is not due to inhibition of dsRNA cleavage by Dicer-2 but acts downstream in the RNAi pathway. Furthermore, we found that the VSR activity is not linked to the antiapoptotic activity of the protein. Overall, our results provide evidence for the existence of VSR activity in a double-stranded DNA virus and identify the responsible gene, which is involved in the inhibition of RNAi as well as apoptosis. IMPORTANCE Our findings demonstrate the occurrence of an insect RNAi response against a baculovirus (AcMNPV) that is highly utilized in microbial control, biological and biomedical research, and protein expression. Moreover, our investigations led to the identification of a viral suppressor of RNAi activity and the gene responsible for the activity. Notably, this gene is also a potent inhibitor of apoptosis. The outcomes signify the dual role of a virus-encoded protein in nullifying two key antiviral responses, apoptosis and RNAi.


1 December 2004 in Journal of Biosciences
Verified
Journal Article
Closed access
PDF file
Kayvan EtebariKayvan Etebari
Kayvan Etebari
LMLeila Matindoost
Leila Matindoost

25 July 2013 in Archives of Virology
Verified
Journal Article
Closed access
PDF file
LMLeila Matindoost
Leila Matindoost
HHHao Hu
Hao Hu
LCLeslie C. L. Chan
Leslie C. L. Chan
LNLars Nielsen
Lars Nielsen
SRSteven Reid
Steven Reid

1 August 2012 in Journal of Virological Methods
Verified
Journal Article
Closed access
LMLeila Matindoost
Leila Matindoost
LCLeslie C.L. Chan
Leslie C.L. Chan
YQYing Mei Qi
Ying Mei Qi
LNLars Nielsen
Lars Nielsen
SRSteven Reid
Steven Reid